AI Rant

Journal - AI Rant

warnings: If you don't want an existential crisis today, maybe don't read this one. I just really need to pour my heart out on this

If you're an artist, you know what this is about. The internet has become a hellscape for artists to be picked off like roadkill by websites that are populated by them in the greedy and heedless pursuit of the development of generative AI. It's clear that the humans that use their services are their last priority. It is downright predatory in fact. In a way a cat hunts a pretty bird that it does not intend to eat.

So this is my question that I have come to ask: What are we creating art for?

Humans throughout history have created art to capture moments in history. Art has also been used to capture moments that never existed at all. But they entertained a notion. An idea. Filled a void of time, when one had nothing better to do. Art was our first language. It's how we communicate with the past. And just perhaps, it will be the last as well. Consider the Golden Record. It is expected to be playable for up to a billion years, that's: 1,000,000,000 spelled out. And humanity has a 95% probability of going extinct within 7,800,000 years according to J. Richard Gott, based on the world's estimated physical changes.

Who are we creating art for? Are there eyes, voices, ears out there in deep space that will mourn for the existance that they will have never known? Or will the golden record never be held, or seen at all?

What is art?

Well, I could tell you what it was. Art was something sacred. We wrapped ourselves in it. A tapestry woven of all our lives worth of experience and skill to be passed down to the next generation. It was something that our youngest and oldest lives partook in. It has always been the gateway to unite our pasts and our futures. These are memories. These are records. These are proofs of our existance. Art is in our voices, it's in our penmanship, it's in the images we create.

Art is a butterfly captured. It is delicate. Beautiful. Easily torn. It lives for only a few days. It dies. And then a few more appear. There are many different kinds of butterflies and moths. But some will always look the same, and you may never tell unless you raised that butterfly.

One day, there will be no more pictures. No more text, no more images. No more butterflies. Well, perhaps, not on earth.

What are we creating art for?

For someone to see us and know that we existed? It seems that will, and has always been some of the last things found. It may last longer than the bones we leave in the earth.

I have seen the culture of art shift.

I've seen spaces of human artists invaded, like wolves to sheep. AI bros that come into artist spaces like shapeshifters and barbarians, dawning the skins of artists they have stolen; boasting their tools superiority, and jeering at the futility of all the years and hardships wrought by human artists who spent that time honing their person and spirit, and their skills. I have seen this fight reduce roaring and creative spirits to mere kindling.

I worry for our future. And if the tragedy of a being, who has spent their life learning and trying to amount to something and gain traction to survive in this world- looses all hope in an instant because of this- and this makes you laugh? Then I pity you. The reality you stand on is as thin as everyone elses. When once a tool was replaceable- now the one who holds it is as well.

If we do not value our creative spirits and produce in the name of perfection and production, then we have become an unfeeling, unliving machine. Humanity's flame will die. We will be like living husks carrying through space, creating art that we cannot feel, cannot love, cannot appreciate. If we do not value our lives and journies- we cannot value our art. Art, does not exist without sacrifice.

What, and who are we, without technology? If you are an artist, you will create with whatever damn tools you find. That's what unites humanity even with our most ancient ancestors. Art and ingenuity is the entire reason some of us move forward, and that arguably, humanity moves forward. AI can puzzle great questions together, but ultimately humanity must make the decision. Do not cripple your mind by giving up your critical thinking to AI. This robs yourself of development and experience.